These youths, the youngest in their teens, the oldest just in their early twenties, were all at the vibrant age of youthful ambition.
What's more, they were all the most outstanding prodigies selected from across the nation. Hearing a young girl disparage their work, how could they possibly tolerate it?
The refined middle-aged man was about to stop these students.
These brats had all come from across the country for further study, and none of them yielded to the other.
He could understand a genius having a bit of arrogance, but no matter how talented one was, they were nothing in front of the person before them.
The refined middle-aged man didn't want them to offend the undisputed master of the art world.
However, before he could speak, the old man spoke first, his demeanor still as amiable as ever.
Thinking of his teacher's ill temper, the refined middle-aged man's heart immediately filled with a bad premonition.
The old man chuckled and said, "Then how about you pick out a painting you find most beautiful here, and use that as a perfect ten to score the other works?"
Jian Xiuhuan frowned beside them. With a long stride, he pulled the little girl behind him.
"Old man, that's not playing fair, is it?" Jian Xiuhuan said displeasantly. "My sister is still young, you don't need to create so much animosity for her, do you?"
He finally understood that the works displayed in this exhibition area were those of these young men.
What his little cousin had just said had already angered those brats, and if the old man were to add fuel to the fire with this move, wouldn't these people explode?
Let alone the fact that Sheng Sheng was just a child who knew nothing, even a master of painting would inevitably provoke dissatisfaction from those who were overly confident in themselves with an objective and fair evaluation. For this old man to pull such a stunt in front of these people, wasn't he pushing his little cousin into a fiery pit?
"Heh heh~" The old man chuckled sinisterly, "In any case, the child has already said everything that should and shouldn't be said, so it doesn't matter if I say a little more."
Jian Xiuhuan's brow twitched. Wasn't it you who set the trap?
With his thin lips tightly pressed, Jian Xiuhuan directly took Jian Sheng's chubby little hand and turned to leave.
Continuing to talk with this old man would surely lead to no good. Just look at how his naive little cousin was being tricked and misled.
"Hey, hey, hey!" The old man suddenly became anxious. "Young man, you've got no manners! It's clearly between me and this little one, why are you interfering? Besides, these young fellows all look proud and arrogant, but in reality, they have no real skill. With me here, are you afraid your sister will be bullied by them?"
The refined middle-aged man's mouth twitched. Teacher, your sweeping generalization is quite loud. Without even looking back, he knew that the group of youngsters behind him must have already erupted.
However, the teacher did indeed have the right to say that.
"Little aunt, let's go."
After hearing this, Jian Xiuhuan became even more determined, beckoning Jian Junruo to pull Jian Sheng and leave.
While the old man's identity seemed extraordinary, whether he was reliable was another matter entirely. Jian Xiuhuan didn't want his soft and obedient little cousin, whom he had only met today, to fall into a huge pit.
Judging by the expressions of those brats, their resentful gazes looked as if they could devour a person.
The old man finally realized that he might have gone too far and jumped up from his small stool.
After a series of earnest persuasion, Jian Xiuhuan, with a sulky expression, finally stopped, but his gaze towards the old man was exceptionally unfriendly.
The refined middle-aged man watched nervously from the side, secretly marveling at the fearlessness of the ignorant.
At the same time, his regard for the little girl deepened. Not just anyone could make his teacher cling to them so persistently.
Jian Xiuhuan spoke his mind directly: "I know you've taken a liking to my sister's potential, but let me be clear. If you want to talk, talk properly. Don't entice my sister into offending people. Those words just now were also coaxed out by you. My sister won't take the blame for you."
Jian Sheng looked at her benefactor cousin with sparkling eyes. "Heh, Cousin doesn't seem as annoying as in the original story. He's actually protecting me so much."
In the original story, her cousin always had a gloomy face towards their mother and found fault with her constantly.
The old man looked helpless. He, Cheng Yongtai, had been brilliant his whole life, but now he was defeated by this pair of old and young.
The refined middle-aged man chimed in to support Jian Xiuhuan, "Young man, you don't need to worry. These are all my students, and this gentleman is my teacher. What my teacher says carries considerable weight."
Jian Xiuhuan and the group of youths looked at the old man in disbelief.
This old man was actually their teacher's teacher?
These brats were actually the old man's grand-disciples?
Jian Xiuhuan silently complained internally, "Elder, don't you fear hurting the feelings of these disciples and grand-disciples with your evaluations?"
With the conversation reaching this point, Jian Xiuhuan's wariness finally lessened slightly.
The reason he stayed was mainly because he remembered why the name "Hua Wen Art Studio" sounded familiar. Wasn't this the studio his uncle had gone to years ago?
After studying at the studio for a few years, his uncle had come out boasting about how it was a paradise for calligraphy and painting art, with a gathering of art world giants. He said that a single visit there could be talked about for a lifetime, and even just interacting and learning with the teachers there was enough qualification to flaunt.
However, upon seeing the small advertisement for the art exhibition and the old man sitting there guarding it, the studio's prestige in Jian Xiuhuan's mind plummeted. This made Jian Xiuhuan subconsciously unable to link this studio with the Hua Wen Art Studio his uncle had spoken of.
Even now, his first thought was, "Could this be a fake art studio using its name to recruit students and swindle money?"
After some thought, Jian Xiuhuan still sent a message to his uncle, explaining the situation.
With the little girl having her guardian watching her protectively, the old man also gave up on coaxing the child to say more.
However, while he didn't intend to ask, the group of youths were not willing to let it go.
The old man was their teacher's teacher, so they could only suppress their anger. But this little girl was not related to them in any way!
The group muttered amongst themselves, and finally, a bespectacled young man stepped forward. He looked at the refined middle-aged man and said resentfully, "Teacher, we still want to hear this child's evaluation of our works."
"Go back, all of you!" the refined middle-aged man berated, a wave of anxiety washing over him. He looked at the old man with a resentful gaze.
Teacher, please stop causing trouble.
Jian Xiuhuan's expression also darkened, and he cast a displeased look at the old man.
His gaze clearly conveyed: These people already resent my little cousin. I definitely won't let my little cousin join your studio. Tell me, what do you intend to do?
The old man: "..."
What did it mean to lift a rock only to drop it on one's own foot?
Although the bespectacled youth was driven back, he still looked at Jian Sheng with considerable displeasure and defiance.
Jian Sheng also pouted in annoyance. She was clearly just telling the truth, so why were these people looking at her like that?
The little girl pursed her lips and carefully examined the paintings on the wall. Finally, she casually pointed to one. "That painting will be the reference piece."